November 2013 Bulletin - Tazkiya

Tazkiya

Purification of the heart is often perceived as
an inward process of self-consciousness, accountability and development.
Ultimately, this leads to a heart that is in many ways ‘free’.

When
Prophet Muhammad received the first few verses of the Quran from his Lord, he
went back to his wife, Khadija and said “Cover me, Cover me”.

Muhammad
did not expect prophecy; Infact, he was shocked by it.Unlike many prophets,
he wasn’t born to a Prophetic family.When Prophet Muhammad went back to his
wife, another few verses from the Quran were revealed: “Oh you who is covered in
garments, get up and warn”!

The biography of Prophet Muhammad contains a
detailed account of the time period preceding his prophecy. Muhammad used to
seclude himself in a mountain near Mecca in a conscious effort to purify his
heart and free it from lively contaminants. Ultimately, this tremendous effort
of soul purification lead to the greatest responsibility that man has known:
Islam.

AbuBakr was the Prophet’s closest friend. On the second day of
having received the revelation, the Prophet sees AbuBakr and tells him of his
magnificent experience in the cave of Hiraa. AbuBakr wholeheartedly believes in
Muhammad and his message. At this timepoint, AbuBakr knows about 10 verses of
the Quran. AbuBakr is not instructed by the prophet to call upon others and
invite to Islam. Yet, on his first day of accepting Islam, AbuBakr brings to the
Prophet 5 people who accepted Islam; none were from his tribe. These 5
companions are some of the giants who sacrificed their lives for the sake of
Islam. These 5 companions along with AbuBakr were later named to the list of 10
people who were given glad tidings of paradise by the Prophet.

Much like
the Prophet, AbuBakr’s sense of responsibility drove him to share this
responsibility with others: starting from those whose hearts were closest to
purity.

The first thoughts that often come to mind of a person with a
pure heart, is someone who is in constant remembrance of God and whose night is
filled with prayer and whose day is filled with Quranic recitation and
memorization. But, neither Prophet Muhammad nor AbuBakr had the Quran at a point
when their hearts were pure.

In contrast to AbuBakr on his first day of
Islam, most of us have subscribed to Islam for a long time. We have the Quran
happily resting on our shelves, downloaded on our phones, hung on our walls,
memorized in our hearts and referenced in our conversations. Moreso, we have
thousands of narrations from our Prophet, thousands of stories from his
companions and followers and a historical account of his life.

Most of
us memorize of the Quran more than AbuBakr did on his first day of Islam. Yet,
AbuBakr’s sense of responsibility on that day far exceeds that of ours
collectively. His urge to change the world to a better place with the limited
resources he had was insurmountable. One could argue that AbuBakr was a
fundamental cornerstone in the establishment of Islam on earth. As AbuBakr’s
heart became more pure, his sense of responsibility increased. Yet, we on the
other hand, continue to struggle with the very notion of purification of the
heart and many will die without having taken a single responsibility towards
establishing justice on earth.